Italian Quits U.S.-Led Iraq Authority

[Spazito]

ROME - An Italian official resigned from the U.S.-led administration running Iraq (news - web sites) and sharply criticized it, saying the authority "simply doesn't work," the Foreign Ministry and news reports said Monday.



Marco Calamai, a special counselor of the Coalition Provisional Authority in the province of Dhi Qar, told reporters in the province's main town of Nasiriyah on Sunday that he had become completely disillusioned with the U.S.-led authority headed by L. Paul Bremer.


He said only an interim authority headed by the United Nations (news - web sites) could turn things around.

<snip>

In comments cited by La Stampa daily, Calamai said the United States had underestimated the complexity of Iraq's social structure, and suggested that that lack of understanding had contributed to the attack of the Italian Carabinieri barracks last week that killed 19 Italians, as well as 14 others.

more

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=540&e=1&u=/ap/italy_iraq_resignation

[Gimel]

1. such losses and surrender

Unfortunately this encourages the terrorists. They've won one surrender.

[La_Serpiente]

2. Too bad

the US didn't know what they were doing when they went in.

[iam]

10. Why

Do you hate America? Always bashing the US. The US had nothing to do with it, the bush* admin didn't know what it was doing when it invaded.

[Voltaire99]

22. Actually, US support for the invasion was enormous

A minority of us opposed it; an even smaller number of us marched.

But as poll after poll showed, nearly three quarters of Americans backed the invasion. Oh, sure, some finesse of the numbers is required: most wanted a fig leaf from the UN before "our boys" set to the slaughter.

We can attribute the popularity of the war to official lies, media manipulation, post-911 fear and desire for revenge. But that's for another debate. The bottom line here is that the war-favoring US public had *everything* to do with the invasion.

[iam]

28. No way

Put it this way, if there was no dumbya (or if Gore was in the WH) there is no war in Iraq. If there was only dumbya and the army, the same thing happens but earlier. Ergo, bush was the moving factor. Simple.

[bemildred]

4. They would have done a better job of "not encouraging the terrorists"

had they not invaded. It's a bit late to whine about it now,
and they continue to encourage the heck out of the terrorists by
staying there and stumbling around in the dark like a bunch of
violent retards.

[saigon68]

12. You mean the "BRING EM ON" Encouragement?

Yea that was Fresh---- Bring Em On, cried the AWOL Chimpanzee

[bemildred]

15. Not just that, dumb as it was.

They are getting tagged, and tagged bad, and there is nothing
like some wins to encourage the "terrorists". That image of
invulnerability is invaluable, and once it is gone, its gone for
good.

[leftchick]

17. I watched a great analysis this AM on BBC america.....

The fellow on explained just how fucked up these raids are that the US is doing. He said the US is playing right into the guerillas hands by pissing off the average Iraqi, busting into their homes and taking their only means of protection away. The US is creating many more "terrists" than it will ever be able to "destroy".

[bemildred]

27. That is correct.

The only chance we have in Iraq is if the man-on-the-street Iraqi
starts finking on his more violent brothers. Our very own
military leaders, and I use the term loosely, have complained
about that very thing, they call it "lack of intelligence".
Now, if somebody invaded your home and threatened you, would you
help them or the guys fighting them? I cannot believe after VietNam
and Afghanstan, hell, and just watching Chechnya and the Israeli mess
right now, that these morons are doing it again. This does not work,
it never works, never, not anywhere, unless you call a violent
wasteland working.
:puke:

[bemildred]

16. Look at it this way ...

What have the "terrorists" learned in the last couple weeks?
That it is possible to kill the invaders in large numbers without
any effective retaliation, that's what.

[el_gato]

5. wtf?

I guess you want perpetual war like in i/p eh gimel?

[Paschall]

11. Calamai is quitting because US policy (the CPA) breeds terror

Try giving the article a read, why doncha?

"The U.S.-led authority has created 'delusion, social discontent and anger' among Iraqis and allowed terrorism to 'easily take root,' Corriere quoted Calamai as telling Italian journalists Sunday in Nasiriyah."

[LivingInTheBubble]

13. not terrorists

attacking an occupying military force is not terrorism.

[xxqqqzme]

18. but the LA Times WANTS it 2 B so

http://www.ocweekly.com/ink/04/11/a-coker.php

IMMINENTLY QUOTABLE "We have, in recent days, referred to those attacking American forces in Iraq as ‘resistance fighters.’ Although this term is not inaccurate on its face, it conveys unintended meaning. To many, it romanticizes the work and goals of those killing GIs. We should avoid using it outside of quoted material." Excerpt from Nov. 3 memo by assistant managing editor Melissa McCoy to Los Angeles Times staffers.

[Voltaire99]

23. Which terrorists?

The Arab or US-UK coalition terrorists? Please be specific.

[BlackFrancis]

24. that's fuckin nutty

So no matter what kind of stupid, screwed up evil thing we are doing we have to repeat it over and over and over again lest we encourage the "terrorists"?

[Dhalgren]

25. If even we here at DU continue to mouth

the admin label, "terrorists", for those opposing the US occupation, then our opposition to the Empire is lost. It does no one any good to call the people fighting against the US Oil Empire "terrorists", except the Emperor and his thugs.

I can no longer pretend that there is some way to divide "our boys" over there from what "our boys" are doing. The US is perpetrating a crime upon the people of Iraq, the weapon that is being used is "our boys" over there. We are in the wrong and no amount of spin can change that.

[0007]

26. I don't understand your way of thinking!

[NNN0LHI]

3. Just can't figure out why Marco would be upset?

I am sure Halliburton really appreciates the pipeline guard duty that the Italian soldiers are providing.

Don

[cliss]

6. It's amazing, isn't it?

We are still in the Middle Ages when it comes to attitudes about conquest, imperialism and occupying other countries. The facts are in, and the US tightens its grip. There will be a never-ending supply of resistance fighters who will give their lives for their cause.

It's amazing that Vietnam taught them nothing.

[Yavin4]

7. If The Neocons Had Actually Gone To Vietnam...

It's amazing that Vietnam taught them nothing.

Then, they would have learned something. You can't learn something if you don't even go to school.

[Johnyawl]

8. It's amazing that Vietnam taught them nothing.

Unfortunately there is no one widely accepted "lesson" from Vietnam. All the "lessons" learned from Vietnam are filtered through one's political perspective. The "lesson" that the neocons, and our military, learned from Vietnam is not to trust the American public with bad news. So they bought the media, embedded the reporters to keep them under control, and provide war coverage through press conferences were they can control the news, either omitting, or spinning, anything negative.

They seem to have 'misunderestimated' their ability to do this in a free society. No matter how hard you sit on it, the truth will wiggle free.

[lindashaw]

9. Vote on this one. It's important. :)

[bushisanidiot]

14. Bremer's Plans Are Unravelling

i really think the repukes are going to try to throw the election so the quagmire won't be their problem.

[Cocoa]

19. Bob Arnot thinks Bremer is doing a super job

I just saw him interviewing Bremer. I don't remember Dr. Bob asking any questions, but he was there nodding approvingly at everything Bremer said, and afterwards he just gushed and gushed.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

20. Arnot is either a first-class fool, or he's working for "somebody" that...

...has a vested interest in the kind of "positive" reports he's making.

He's definitely part of that strategy to "show the situation in Iraq in the best possible light".

[Barrett808]

21. Latest revision of this story is even more scathing

Vote this one up!

Italian: U.S. Is Fueling Iraqi Anger
By NICOLE WINFIELD, Associated Press Writer

ROME - An Italian official resigned from the U.S.-led administration running Iraq (news - web sites), saying it is mismanaging reconstruction, out of touch with Iraqis and only fueling their anger, the Foreign Ministry and news reports said Monday.

"The provisional authority simply doesn't work," Marco Calamai, a special counselor to the authority in the province of Dhi Qar, told reporters in announcing his resignation, according to the Italian daily Corriere della Sera.

Calamai said only an interim authority headed by the United Nations could turn things around.

He said the American-led administration, headed by L. Paul Bremer, doesn't understand Iraqi society and has muddled reconstruction projects by delaying financing. He said its policies were in part to blame for last week's attack on the Italian Carabinieri barracks that killed 19 Italians, as well as 14 others.

The U.S.-led authority has created "delusion, social discontent and anger" among Iraqis and allowed terrorism to "easily take root," Corriere quoted Calamai as telling Italian journalists Sunday in Nasiriyah.

The attack on the barracks "is the consequence of a mistaken policy and an underevaluation of the complexity of the social structure of Iraq," he said. "There needs to be a radical change with respect to the policies taken so far by the USA."

(more)

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/italy_iraq_resignation

[goforit]

29. Calamai, I am so sorry for our irresponsible leaders.

Some how I don't think we can ever repay them either....

except booting the thugs out of office!!